Tabletop Mountain

After doing the Lower Dix Range, we decided to take it easy on day 2. We both felt fresh enough to try an easier peak, so we chose the 4,427-foot Tabletop Mountain.

Phelps Brook

The Van Hoevenberg trail is the most-traveled and most-maintained in all the Adirondacks, so it was easy enough to get to the relatively unmissable cairn marking the cutoff to Tabletop Mountain, just at the sign for 0.1 mile to Indian Falls.

Path to Tabletop (straight) and Indian Falls/Marcy (right)

Heading straight for the top at about 4 miles from the Adirondack Loj, the trail was dark and muddy (but not shoe-stealing muddy) with relatively middling views. There were some decent peeks behind to the Macintyre range as you neared the top, and walking past the summit just a few yards exposed a view looking the other way, but in all it was a fairly nondescript hike and only so-so views. Unlike when we climbed neighboring Phelps Mountain last year, the clouds at least lifted above the mountaintops at the summit, so we enjoyed a few (cold) minutes and headed back.

Herd path to Tabletop

We hiked the brief 0.1 mile to Indian Falls, where we warmed our muddied feet in the brief sunshine and enjoyed the view. Signing out of the register before even eating lunch, the skies opened up as we were unlocking the car. It was an easy 9.8-mile, 2,800 vertical feet hike, and thanks to an early start & finish we enjoyed a warm lunch back at the cabin.

2013:5 high peaks (4 repeats) As of 8/1/13:27 (out of 46) high peaks completed.